Radars detect remote objects by transmitting a beam of electromagnetic energy and subsequently measuring reflected electromagnetic energy from the objects. Radars may be used to detect the presence and/or motion of objects having electrical dielectric properties that differ from the properties of the ambient environment in which those objects are located. For example, radars may be used to detect weather-related phenomena (e.g. cloud cover or precipitation) or various topographical features in the Earth's atmosphere.
A synthetic aperture radar (SAR) is a particular type of radar that generates imagery by processing radio-frequency energy reflected from differing orientations and positions relative to the target. Imagery generated by the synthetic aperture radar may have benefits over imagery generated using other image-generating devices such as cameras in that imagery generated by the synthetic aperture radar is not usually hampered by precipitation, fog, or other atmospheric phenomena that may warp or block visible light.